Your thymus gland

Scientific American recently published new research indicating that the health of our thymus glands may be linked to whether we develop cardiovascular disease, lung cancer, or other life-shortening diseases. As remarked by one researcher, it’s an “important puzzle piece” for understanding long-term health.

The thymus gland sits inside your chest next to your heart and lungs. It’s most active before and during puberty, at which time it’s largely responsible for developing T cells, a critical type of white blood cell that helps fight infections. Because it shrinks and is replaced with fat tissue as we age, its role in adults has been overlooked for years.

In their research, scientists found “enormous variation” in the health of the thymus among the 27,000 people whose CT scans and other medical records they studied. In some, the gland stayed active until a very old age; in others it declined rapidly at a younger age. In other words, people with a healthy, active thymus tended to live longer than others. Unfortunately, the article didn’t explain what constitutes a “healthy” or “active” thymus or how to make it that way.

I remembered reading something about the thymus gland in a book called Your Body Doesn’t Lie, by John Diamond, MD, published in 1979 [!]. I found it on my bookshelf! Doctor Diamond calls the thymus gland the “master controller that directs the life-giving and healing energies of the body,” and that it’s the “first organ of the body to be affected by stress.” His advice for stimulating the thymus gland is to gently tap or pound the center of your chest for 15-30 seconds using your fingertips or soft fist. Do this three or four times a day. Also, he recommends smiling a lot, reading poetry, and listening to “revitalizing” music.

I know. It sounds goofy. It’s the best I could do.

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